tonight, from washington, d.c., this is a special edition of "world news." an abc news exclusive. we sit down with the country's most powerful republican, house speaker john boehner. facing a critical deadline. will he and the president finally make a deal? or will this country fall off a cliff of huge tax increases and a new recession? everyone has said, a disaster is looming. face to face. gabby giffords is there as the man who shot her is sentenced. her husband, mark kelly, tells us what was going through their minds. freezing over. the families in the storm zone, huddling in blankets as they're hit with another storm. and band of brothers. our bob woodruff, standing up for heroes tonight. the healing power of rock and roll. ♪

good evening once again from washington, d.c., where the election may be over, but the clock is ticking on an issue affecting every american family. and standing at the urgent crossroads, the president and the speaker of the house, republican john boehner. there is a freight train bearing down on this country, called the fiscal cliff. it made the stock market so nervous today, for the second day in a row, it dropped. and business leaders have begun to come forward to warn the government there will be serious economic consequences if there's no deal. at issue, the fiscal cliff, a doomsday law that hikes taxes and unleashes a wrecking ball of cuts by january 1st. so, i started by asking speaker boehner if this time, he and the now re-elected president are going to make a deal.

what was the first word you said to yourself when you knew that the president was going to win again? >> the hand i was dealt. i'll play it. and i went to bed. >> reporter: right away? how early? >> 11:15. i saw the handwriting on the wall for a couple of hours. and at 11:15, race was, in my view, finished. i went to sleep. and slept like a baby. >> reporter: the fiscal cliff is looming. the president has said, do it now, let us get a deal, let us end this gridlock now. is it going to happen? >> i remain optimistic that we're going to be able to find common ground to avoid this fiscal cliff and find a way to work together. >> reporter: but by when? by january 1st? >> i would hope so. i don't -- >> reporter: the president is talking about specific increases, he campaigned on specific increases in tax rates from 35% to 39%, for those

making more than $250,000. so, is that on the table? right now? >> raising taxes on small business people is the wrong prescription, given where our economy is. >> reporter: is it on the table to talk about? wealthier americans pitch in here. >> i made clear yesterday that raising tax rates is unacceptable and it couldn't even pass the house. putting increased revenues on the table, but through reforming our tax code. and i would do that, if the president were serious about solving our spending problem. and trying to secure our entitlement programs. the president and i have had various conversations. i'm confident that he and i can find the common ground necessary. >> reporter: so, you will talk about it, even if you believe it's the wrong approach, you'll talk about it. >> of course we'll talk about it. we talk about all kinds of things we may disagree on. i'm the most reasonable, responsible person here in washington. the president knows me.

he knows that he and i can work together. the election's over. now it's time to get to work. >> reporter: and the speaker seemed confident that after this election, tea party members will be supportive of getting work done. so, i asked, will he still repeal obama care? you had said, next year, that you would repeal the health care vote. that still your mission? >> well, i think the election changes that. it's pretty clear that the president was re-elected. obama care is the law of the land. >> reporter: but you won't be spending the time next year trying to repeal obama care? >> there certainly may be parts of it that we believe need to be changed. we may do that. no decisions at this point. >> reporter: and another question. about a firebrand in his party, the man who ran for vice president, still congressman paul ryan. congressman paul ryan, is he the leader of the republican party now? >> oh, i wouldn't think so.

paul ryan's a policy wonk. he's involved in the cause of trying to bring us pro-growth, economic agenda to america and making sure that we're doing this in a fiscally responsible way. >> reporter: there have been a lot of republican comments, rush limbaugh said -- >> i went to bed last night thinking we've lost the country. >> reporter: we lost the country, we're outnumbered. al cardenas has said, the party has got, these are his words, too old, too white and too male. is that right? >> well, i think what republicans need to learn is how do we speak to all americans? you know, not just the people who look like us and act like us, but how do we speak to all americans? >> the powerful speaker of the house of representatives, john boehner. that was just today and i'm here now with jonathan karl, who has covered the campaign, covers congress for us. what did you hear, jon? >> reporter: he said raising tax rates is unacceptable. let me tell you, there is an entirely different view of that

on the other side of the aisle and at the white house. if the president campaigned on one thing, it was raising tax rates on the wealthy. they say any deal that doesn't do that is unacceptable. >> so, what happens next now? i seem to hear the speaker saying, you know, we can talk -- >> reporter: you did. and he also wanted to reassure everybody, including the markets, that a deal will be done. we're not going to get to the brink. we're not going to get to the point where the credit rating of the country is again at risk. he said he's willing to talk about anything and he called himself the most reasonable man in washington. so, i think that he is determined to get something done. >> okay, jon karl, thank you. and now, we're going to turn to the other big story of this day. it is the second storm moving in on an already battered east coast. and let us show you the pictures tonight. there they are, as the new storm was moving in. crews struggling to help families restore power now, for the second time. and abc's meteorologist ginger zee is in garden city, new york,

right now. ginger? >> reporter: diane, 400,000 customers are without power. that's additional customers, after last night's storm. and people are coming up to me on these streets and telling me, this is beyond uncomfortable. it's feeling a little bit more like survivasurvival. when it comes to power, it's a case of haves and have-nots. >> we're the only ones. they have power. they have power. this is the only block in the whole area. >> we are, like, the forgotten block. >> reporter: these neighbors live on just one street on long island. they all came out to talk to us because they say they need help. >> the wires spark every day. they spark from somewhere. you don't know what's live. >> reporter: and last night, those dangerous wires were blowing again. >> i'm watching the wire that's hanging from my house fill up with ice and is it going to fall? >> reporter: the storm caused more than just power problems. 600 flights canceled today on top of 1,600 yesterday, disrupting travel across the country. and it dumped record snow for the date, from connecticut to new jersey. it also added to the number of

people who have not had power since sandy. 400,000 more customers in the dark. like nick michael and his family. they just got power back yesterday, ten days after sandy, only to lose it again. >> it was great to have it and we lose it again. extremely frustrating. >> so unfair. we got it for four, five hours and then it's okay. >> reporter: they just want to know when the power is back -- for good. >> nobody lets you know exactly what's happening. >> reporter: new york's governor says their power company has failed them. we called long island's power authority four times today and haven't heard back. diane? >> all right, thank you so much, ginger zee. and now, heading overseas, today we learned that for the first time in history, iranian fighter jets opened fire on an unmanned u.s. drone. the pentagon says last thursday, the drone was conducting routine surveillance in international air space, 16 miles off the coast of iran.

they say iranian war planes fired multiple rounds, but they missed. and back here at home, a bizarre scene involving a stolen plane. dramatic new video shows the jet speeding past the terminal, crashing into fences, slicing through buildings with its wings, as the pilot tried to use the plane as an escape vehicle. and abc's jim avila has more. >> reporter: the wild ride on this stolen passenger jet, that left so many questions in july about airport security. now, from surveillance cameras all around the st. george utah airport, some disturbing answers about what could be the weakest link. bashed wire perimeter fences. police releasing caught on tape video that traces the midnight attempt by a fugitive rogue pilot to literally launch an escape by stealing the plane. brian hedglin uses his coat and thick gloves to climb the razor wired fence. and here, he can be seen scurrying across the tarmac.

look closely from this angle and you can see him remove the wooden blocks from beneath the landing gear. moments later, a clear view of the plane in reverse. then, the jet moves forward, a little too quickly and can be seen hitting first the gate with its left wing. and from this camera, a cloud of dust, as the jet clips the terminal itself. and now out of control, bounces off speed bumps and into the parking lot. the tragic ending, thankfully not on camera. the pilot, on the run, after killing his colorado girlfriend, shoots himself. his body, found in the passenger cabin. the jet engine still running. jim avila, abc news, new york. and still ahead on "world news," congresswoman gabby giffo giffords stares down the gunman who changed her life forever. her husband, astronaut mark kelly, will tell us what he saw in the shooter's eyes. in america today we're running out of a vital resource we need

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courtroom in arizona today. the man who shot former congresswoman gabby giffords and 18 other people was sentenced to life in prison. but there, staring intently at his face was congresswoman giffords, and her husband, astronaut commander mark kelly. and he'll join us in a moment. but first, here's abc's ryan owens. >> reporter: when jared loughner walked into the courtroom, gabby giffords sat up in her chair for a better look. her first look at him since the day almost two years ago when he did his best to kill her. the 24-year-old will die in prison, after admitting he was behind one of the worst mass shootings in u.s. history. giffords stared silently at the man who shot her at point blank range. her husband mark addressed him by name. "mr. loughner, you may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven't put a dent in her spirit. you have decades upon decades to contemplate what you did. but after today, after this moment, here and now, gabby and i are done thinking about you." in fact, giffords told diane she

let go of her anger long ago. >> reporter: do you ever get angry at what happened to you? >> no, no, no. >> reporter: no? >> no. life. life. >> reporter: most victims told loughner they didn't hate him, some even said they'd forgiven him. >> i know that he will spend the rest of his life never seeing the sunshine. and that could have been prevented. >> reporter: loughner is a diagnosed schizophrenic. his victims hope with more treatment behind bars, he may one day understand just how many lives he destroyed. ryan owens, abc news, tucson, arizona. and joining us now, astronaut mark kelly. was it upsetting to her? >> it was difficult. you know, she said she was, you know, sad, during a lot of the, you know, the testimony, the victim impact statements. it's also, you know, tough to face somebody that did such, you know, horrific crime, you know, in her case, to her.

but she's a tough woman, i'm incredibly proud of her. she stood up tall there as i read her statement. and i'm very proud of her. >> you stared right in his eyes. what did you see as you stared in his eyes and what was that for you? >> you know, i saw a person who certainly has, you know, major mental illness. but also somebody who knew where he was and why he was there. and was a little bit defiant, i would have to say, in the way he was looking at us and looking at gabby. you know, he was -- i got a sense he was trying to intimidate us a little bit. but he -- he certainly wasn't able to do that, especially with my wife. >> and you said that you were finished thinking about him now. tonight, is that true? >> you know, the goal is to move on and make the best of every day and not, you know, focus on the past and, this is now in our past, which is, you know, it's a

nice thing. it does feel some sense of resolution. i can guarantee you, we will not be spending a lot of time thinking about jared loughner. >> and so, it is a new day. a lot of things take courage and both of you have shown so much courage through it all. thank you so much, astronaut mark kelly joining us tonight. >> your welcome, diane. and coming up here, our "instant index." you have seen these pictures from space, but now, a new view. and we'll tell you when this thing in the heavens is coming and we'll tell you when this thing in the heavens is coming towards your neighborhood. ming towards your neighborhood. those surprising little things she does still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your

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headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. talk to your doctor about nexium. and now, it is back, our "instant index," of the people, places and quotes that caught our eye. and we begin with this number. 8. as in 8:00 p.m. on thanksgiving day. it's the new unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, because today, walmart, the world's largest retailer announced they are opening their doors right after thanksgiving dinner. and that's two hours earlier than last year. and for our video in the news tonight, we go to space, the international space station. these are videos we've seen of the earth whizzing by, but new tonight, a view we have never seen before, and all you have to do is look up. it may look like a shooting star, but there it will be. actually, the space station, tearing across the night sky. no telescope needed.

nasa has set up a pre-service, "spot the station," and it will send you an e-mail or a text alerting you if the space station is headed to the skies over your neighborhood. and, our person in the news tonight, perhaps the last person you might expect be a master of social media, the pope. today, the vatican announced the 85-year-old pontiff is getting his own personal twitter account, by the end of the year. the pope doesn't even use a computer. he prefers long hand. so, we expect he'll be dictating his tweets. and we do want to hear from you. so, tell us which pictures, people and quotes capture your imagination every day. and tell us online at abcnews.com or tweet them to us, #instantindex. and coming up next, a salute for some wounded warriors and a dream, sharing the stage with rock royalty. our own bob woodruff brings us the healing power of music. the healing power of music. [ male announcer ] in blind taste tests, even ragu users chose prego.

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and finally tonight, take a look at the empire state 3wi8d i building, lit up in red, white and blue in honor of an event championed by our own bob woodruff. it is the sixth annual benefit, stand up for heroes, raising money for wounded veterans. and stars from bruce springsteen to john mayer will take the stage, including a group of veterans who will bring their powerful song. and bob brings us that story tonight. >> reporter: at last year's stand up for heroes benefit, it was the boss bringing the house down. ♪ this year, joining him, a different band of brothers. >> i was in kandahar in

afghanistan and i lost my leg above the knee. >> blew both my legs off above the knee immediately. >> reporter: wounded veterans, now students of a program at walter reed called musicorps. they are taught instruments. taught to use their new bodies. ♪ the idea came to pianist arthur bloom while visiting the hospital. he noticed injured veterans sitting alone, in silence, for hours. >> their life gets blown up in every sense of the word. what we're trying to do is really re-inject a sense of excellence. >> reporter: excellence and healing. >> there actually are an increasing number of studies that show music can help an injured brain heal. uninjured part can compensate for injured part. >> reporter: i have an injured brain. should i -- can i play music with you? musicorps pairs up veterans with some of the world's biggest stars. >> this is eric, one of our lead guitar players. >> reporter: that's roger waters, frontman of pink floyd.

and after seeing the crowd at last year's stand up for heroes event, roger had an idea. >> i thought, what if they would let me try to put a band together that had a bunch of the guys in it -- these guys. ♪ >> reporter: they became the wounded warriors band. ♪ this is a dream, i can't imagine you ever thought of. >> no. never imagined it. ♪ knock knock knocking on heaven's door ♪ >> reporter: tonight, together on the stage, you might not always see their scars. you will see their souls. bob woodruff, abc news, new york. >> and with the gratitude of this country, you can go to abcnews.com to see how you can watch the stand up for heroes event at 8:00 eastern time. and also, learn how you can join a mentoring program for veterans. we are so glad you were watching tonight. we are always here at abcnews.com.

"nightline" will be along later. and we will see you back in new york tomorrow night. good night. tonight, world series violence claims one man's live. >> i'm spencer christian. waves of showers continue to sweep through the bay area, i'm tracking the stormymji&ñçç weather. >> a municipal payoff facebook is making to neighbors on the peninsula. >> it's my third strike,

instigating a fight. >> three prison inmates waiting to be sprung tonight because of the election. >> bright lights sparkling a little tonight after rain. not a major storm but one dampened most of the bay area by now. >> let's go straight to abc 7 weather anchor spencer christian. >> you can see on the wide view here, we have pockets of light rain and areas of showers, waves of showers. much of the bay area experiencing dry weather. closing in a bit here looking down towards south bay, we see a spot of showers near san bruno and another line of showers from fremont across and portolla valley. far south heavier activity in a wider path into the